After a heartwarming tribute to the late WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Seth Rollins entered the ring with a smug smile proclaiming that his only flaw is that he’s too sympathetic because he didn’t finish the job after he broke John Cena’s nose. While sporting a sardonic t-shirt stating “U Can’t C Knee”, Rollins not only issued an Open Challenge to the locker room–so long as the opponent was below 6-feet and under 200-lbs–but he also issued a challenge to John Cena for the now 4-hour spectacular SummerSlam. A winner takes all match, where both the WWE World Heavyweight and WWE United States championships will be on the line. And for the first time in history, the winner will hold both championships at the same time.

Sound familiar? Well it should because back on June 19 at Studio 5 in New York, NY, Ring of Honor’s Best in the World main event pit the ROH World champion Jay Briscoe against the ROH World TV champion Jay Lethal in a Battle of the Belts. Lethal became the undisputed ROH champion, winning his first World championship in the process. And now we have ROH Alumni Seth Rollins issuing the same concept for SummerSlam? Sounds like WWE is trying to stick it to ROH.

It’s well-known that Ring of Honor has been a breeding ground for excellence. Just by looking at the current WWE roster, along with Rollins, most of the main players have come from ROH: Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Samoa Joe. So why would WWE want to stick it to ROH when they should be grateful? Simply put, Vince loves competition.

On August 22, NXT Takeover will broadcast live on the WWE Network out of the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, NY. But on that same night, Ring of Honor will be hosting “Field of Honor” a live event at MCU Park, also in Brooklyn. Rumor is… Ring of Honor officials already knew that NXT would be performing on the same night as their show, but didn’t know it would be a Takeover Special. The Takeover special will feature the rematch from WWE Beast in the East – Finn Bálor defending the NXT championship against Kevin Owens. ROH will not be featuring a championship bout at Field of Honor, instead it will showcase a tag team main event: ROH World & World TV Champion Jay Lethal & “King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura vs reDRagon.

This battle of shows in Brooklyn reminds me of a night back in 2011 when ROH and WWE butted heads in Manhattan just a block away from one another. ROH had the earlier show billed as “Manhattan Mayhem IV” and WWE had their house show in the famous Madison Square Garden a few hours later. Most fans that night had tickets to both shows, including myself. But this night also marked my biggest regret. Just minutes before WWE Live was to start, ROH’s main event ran purposely into WWE’s start time. This was a testament to whether or not the fans would stay till the end of the show. It was a World championship match between Roderick Strong and Eddie Edwards. And while I was on the line at MSG waiting to get my tickets scanned, I got a call from my friend who decided to stay, to tell me that Eddie Edwards won the ROH World title.

That night, ROH outdid WWE in every possible way, including a surprising championship victory. But that was years ago, and I witnessed Jay Lethal become the Undisputed ROH World champion at Best in the World back in June. Now my sights are set on my first NXT show. And it is going to be memorable.

Question remains… can Seth Rollins and John Cena’s dual-championship bout contend with Jay Briscoe and Jay Lethal’s Battle of the Belts? Only SummerSlam will tell.

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About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

The rumor mill has been running rampant this week following Kevin Owens’ recent loss to John Cena at WWE Battleground. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, some decision makers in WWE don’t want Owens to succeed because they don’t see him in the caliber of Cena, Randy Orton or Seth Rollins. And to further fuel this rumor, Owens was used as one of the locker room members sent to break up the brawl between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker on Monday Night RAW. But these are just rumors and the concept of WWE thinkers not believing in Kevin Owens is not a concept I want to get behind.

Because if WWE truly wanted to bury Kevin Owens, then he would have been the fall guy on Monday’s main event against Cena, Orton and Cesaro. Instead, Owens abandoned Rusev in the middle of the match, who was too busy with Summer Rae, and walked out unpinned. And as far as the locker room brawl, Triple H, himself, was among the people trying to subdue Brock and Taker. It just added to the concept of how monumental SummerSlam’s main event is. Because this is not just any match, this is a WrestleMania rematch to vindicate The Streak. So I wouldn’t consider Kevin Owens a jobber just yet.

Then there’s the co main event that WWE teased on Monday Night RAW when John Cena challenged the integrity of Seth Rollins. John Cena wouldn’t have much of a case if he himself wasn’t still the United States champion. And let’s not forget that the purpose of John Cena winning the United States championship at WrestleMania was to bring prestige back to the US Title. The purpose of Owens vs Cena was to showcase a new threat in WWE.

Kevin Owens is a unique talent because although he’s been brought up to the main roster, he still has a foot in NXT. Samoa Joe has been itching to have a one-on-one match with Owens to see who truly is the best big man. A recovering Sami Zayn vowed to get his hands on his former best friend when he returns to the ring in 2016. And then there’s the new NXT champion Finn Balor, who will defend the championship in a rematch at NXT Takeover in Brooklyn–which I will be attending! So although his program with Cena might have ended (for now) there are still plenty of feuds left for Kevin Owens in NXT.

The Immortal Hulk Hogan praised Kevin Owens in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, stating that Owens made him a believer again. “He caught me with my guard down and he made me a believer again, he hooked me. He’s got that look, man; that demeanor and that swagger.”

And it’s no secret that Steve Austin has been impressed by Owens after stumbling upon his “Top Moves” on YouTube (video below). He’s spoken about him on his podcast–The Steve Austin Show on Podcastone.com–prior to Owens signing to the WWE, and even had Owens on his podcast as a guest.

Kevin Owens brings a believability to the table that no one else does. When you listen to Kevin Owens talk, he comes off as this brash, smug son of a b*tch that you want to fight, but might get beat up by. He’s definitely one of the best heels that WWE has right now, and one of the best opponents, I truly believe, John Cena has had in a long time, because he’s the anti-Cena. To borrow a line from The Flash “The Man in the Yellow Suit”, some would call him the reverse.

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

There is a surge of electricity still buzzing throughout social media over the blockbuster announcement laid forth by Stephanie McMahon. With the resurgence of women’s sports sweeping the world, the Principle Owner of WWE nourished the Divas division with a crop of new talent from the NXT developmental system. And let’s just say this invasion angle is awesome.

After weeks of trying to bring change to the Divas division, Paige was at the end of her rope trying to thwart Nikki Bella’s stronghold on the Divas championship of nearly 240 days. But with the Bella Army including Nikki’s sister Brie, and the newest groupie Alicia Fox, Paige was initially fighting a losing battle. Rumors went around the inter-web that the women from NXT would join Paige in the fight, but the card is always subject to change.

Then the rumors started taking shape as photos leaked on twitter of some of those NXT women shown arriving to RAW in Atlanta. But that could’ve meant anything, they could have been there to film a vignette or gain some experience by simply observing. But when Stephanie interrupted Nikki’s self-praising, that’s when the landscape of the Divas division changed.

Accompanying Paige in her crusade is the lass kicker from Dublin, Ireland, Becky Lynch. The steam punk’d, orange-haired wrestler made a hell of an impression at the last NXT Takeover when she took the current NXT Women’s champion to the limit. Also joining the team is the genetically superior Charlotte. The second generation wrestler dominated the NXT women’s division for the better part of a year.

But the fight against the Bellas doesn’t just involve Paige and her new team, which the inter-web has already dubbed as the Powerpuff Girls,Naomi and Tamina Snuka have been against both Paige and The Bellas. Juxtapose to this fierce duo is the self-proclaimed boss of NXT and current reigning and defending NXT Women’s champion Sasha Banks!

Talk about a dream come true. Two years ago, Paige made the jump to Monday Night RAW from NXT, to make a name for herself and to prove that the future was with NXT. Now we have three amazing talents blazing their own trails.

And how awesome was that sight as history was being made and the battle lines were drawn. Team Bella were staring at both Paige’s team of Becky and Charlotte and Naomi’s team of Tamina and Sasha Banks? The Atlanta crowd were losing their minds! It was like a superhero battle of the ages. It was like the X-Men vs. The Avengers vs. the Guardians of the Galaxy! Then the Divas champion made the drastic mistake of pushing the Women’s champion, then all hell broke loose.

It was a moment in time created by these three women, who have broken the barriers of what women can accomplish when given a chance.

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

Speculations ensued whether or not Kevin Owens would retain the NXT championship at NXT Takeover: Unstoppable since he has a match cinched in for WWE’s Elimination Chamber event. There’s still speculations, but none concerning Kevin Owens’ grasp on the title going into his match with John Cena, which will make him the first NXT champion to compete on a WWE pay-per-view special. The speculations are now targeted towards WWE’s newest acquisition: Samoa Joe.

Written in a previous post, the reason I strayed away from TNA IMPACT Wrestling was because all the wrestlers that I loved were parting ways from the company one way or another; which included Samoa Joe. After TNA, Samoa Joe made a quick resurgence over in Ring of Honor Wrestling, the promotion where he made a name for himself as the Samoan Submission Machine. And much like Kevin Steen, Samoa Joe was never really in the cross hairs of WWE because of his look.

Even though the inter-web or the IWC… whatever you want to call it, have discussed the rumors that Joe and WWE were finally in negotiations, I just wasn’t expecting one of the top independent prospects to make his way over to the WWE. Sure, it’s not Monday Night RAW, but to debut at the conclusion of the main event of an NXT Takeover special is the next best thing.

Samoa Joe came at a strategic time in the development of the Kevin Owens storyline. Because Owens has been non-stop laying people out with his pop-up powerbombs, and with his recent thrashing of his former best friend Sami Zayn, he was truly unopposed. But when Joe entered the NXT squared circle and just cold stared at Owens, and then stepped closer when Owens stepped back, he became Owens’ opposition. It was like when John Cena first debuted against Kurt Angle, or when Kurt Angle crossed the line and opposed Samoa Joe; there was an instant electricity that the wrestling fans have been craving for.

Does the emergence of Samoa Joe spell the end for Kevin Owens’ reign as the NXT champion? Does it mean that Owens is about to get called up for a permanent spot on the main roster? Or will this rivalry become the best summer in NXT Wrestling history? So much to speculate on, and yet how great is it to see Samoa Joe finally in a WWE capacity setting?

What are your thoughts on WWE’s latest acquisition and how they handled Samoa Joe’s debut?

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

Not since The Nexus invasion angle has the NXT mainstays made such an impact in the realm of Monday Night RAW. Three weeks ago in Montreal, the hometown hero Sami Zayn fought through a bad shoulder to answer John Cena’s Open Challenge. The following week in Cincinnati, Neville, NXT’s longest reigning champion, took Cena to the distance when he almost captured the United States title. And then there was Kevin Owens. The NXT champion shocked the world–including his son Owen, who was watching at home–when he stepped into the ring with John Cena.

John Cena quickly put up his defenses, as he usually does, and attempted to school Owens with veteran advice; but if you know Kevin Owens, like we know Kevin Owens, you cannot out-talk Kevin Owens. “Mr. Wrestling” belittled Cena’s veteran status and reminded him that he has been wrestling a lot longer than him, but the only difference is that he didn’t get his big break until now.

Then Cena lifted his US Title and granted Owens an opportunity, but Owens proudly stated that he already had a prize and that was the NXT championship. By the end of the stand-off, Kevin Owens surprised Cena with a pop-up powerbomb. And as Cena was lying flat on his back, Owens looked at both the NXT and US titles, and dropped Cena’s belt. Then–to add insult to even more insult–Owens stepped on the US Title and raised his NXT championship as a statement to which championship was the most prestigious.

Before laying Cena on his backside, Owens mentioned that he was a prize-fighter and that he would fight Cena on his own terms. And after a backstage segment with WWE C.O.O. and NXT Father-Figure Triple H, Kevin Owens announced that he would face John Cena in Corpus Christi at the Elimination Chamber.

This month will perhaps be the most important month in Owens’ WWE career as he also has a title defense against his friend of over twelve-years Sami Zayn at NXT Takeover: Unstoppable. Since winning the championship from Zayn (read “Kevin Owens Takes Over NXT“), Kevin Owens has been unstoppable by dropping every opponent with a powerbomb on the side of the ring apron. He’s also made it very ominous that he will end Zayn’s career this Wednesday at Takeover.

If Owens does manage to retain the championship and walk into Corpus Christi still the NXT champion, it would be the very first time that an NXT champion crossed over to a WWE pay-per-view. Not to mention if he manages to beat John Cena? How would that impact the course of the WWE and Kevin Owens’ career?

Kevin Owens would have to be brought up to the main roster. But Owens is a prize-fighter, he wouldn’t be satisfied simply vying for the US Title. No. He would want to go after the WWE World Heavyweight championship. Factor in that Seth Rollins is the WWE champion and Triple H’s chosen one. How would that play out seeing as Owens is H’s chosen one in NXT? Would Seth Rollins lose his place on the pedestal and be replaced by Kevin Owens?

Perhaps we are getting a little ahead of ourselves, but Kevin Owens’ shocking debut on RAW to face off against John Cena is a proclamation that there are no boundaries that Owens will not cross. And as far as Owens is concerned, this is his big break and nothing will stop him.

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

WrestlingTimesX is not a misogynistic blog. WTX gives Divas a chance no matter how bad they may be on the mic or in the ring (that’s right, Bellas). WTX supports the exposure of talented women like a Paige or an AJ Lee (not like that… #NakedPaige)

When the #LikeAGirl spot aired during the Super Bowl, WWE followed with their own #LikeAGirl spot featuring WWE Divas from the main roster and NXT to demonstrate that their Divas are role models because they are strong and beautiful. But after a brutally short Divas Tag Team match on Monday Night RAW, the #GiveDivasAChance movement was born because, clearly, WWE needs a reminder that the Divas should not be overlooked.

Before making her return to WWE this past Monday, AJ Lee blindsided Stephanie McMahon on twitter stating that the Divas were grossly underpaid despite being on the highest rated segments and having record-selling merchandise. Stephanie McMahon was said to be livid–wouldn’t you be if your employee made you and your company look bad on social media? But her response–probably advised by office staff members and Vince McMahon himself–was curt, yet professional. Because it’s not like Stephanie could berate AJ Lee on twitter after just tweeting about Women’s Rights and Using Your Voice to be heard. She would’ve been a total hypocrite.

Much like her husband, AJ is not afraid to voice her opinions in a public forum such as an episode of Monday Night RAW or on the twitter. And despite the fact that she does not like the term “Diva”, AJ is very vocal on the importance of women’s wrestling.

Yet, in true WWE fashion, while Vince may “hear” the fans clamoring for more women’s wrestling, the movement has already been downplayed to where R-Truth, who will be one of the participants in the Intercontinental championship ladder match at WrestleMania, promoted his own hashtag at commentary #GiveTruthAChance. This of course trended on twitter for some time because: A) It was entertaining; and B) Wrestling fans what to see more talents being utilized.

With WrestleMania so close and the predominate Divas storyline focused on Paige’s title hunt against Nikki Bella with Brie Bella, and now a returning AJ Lee, will WrestleMania have a Fatal Four-Way bout for the WWE Divas championship; or will it subject us to a multi-free-for-all Divas Battle Royal as in previous years?

But in the mean time and in between time, while we wait for the WWE to give Divas a chance on the main roster, check out NXT on the WWE Network and watch the women’s matches there. At NXT Takeover R-Evolution, Charlotte and Sasha Banks had a fantastic match for the NXT Women’s championship. Then at NXT Takeover RIVAL, we witnessed a great Fatal Four-Way and the crowning of a new champion. The women on NXT outshine even some of the guys from the main roster because they don’t play cute and dumb. When that bell rings, those women show the world that #LikeAGirl they can be strong and beautiful.

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

For the first time, a championship changed hands not via pinfall or submission, but by referee stoppage. It was an outcome no one was expecting, but then again, the WWE Universe had never experienced the savage nature of the man known throughout the world as “Mr. Wrestling”.

At NXT Takeover RIVAL, Kevin Owens entered his championship bout with one factor weighing heavily on his mind–to win at all costs. Because to him that championship meant more money and a better life for his wife and kids. Although that meant jeopardizing a twelve-year friendship, Kevin’s resolve to become champion outweighed that consequence.

Kevin Owens viciously dominated Sami Zayn with five consecutive powerbombs. Now if the referee hadn’t stopped the match as Owens was attempting powerbomb number 6, Sami Zayn’s career might have ended. The medical examiner from ringside actually demanded that the referee stop the match. So it’s not like Sami got screwed out of the title, he was honestly deemed unfit to compete.

Wrestling logic would have pegged Sami Zayn to retain the championship because he had worked so hard to “arrive” at NXT Takeover R-Evolution. Then again, it took Kevin Owens 14 years to get to the WWE, and he vowed that he would fight whoever stood in his way.

Two months to the day after debuting on NXT, Kevin Owens is the face of the NXT brand and that should scare the hell out of the locker room. Because if he did that to his best friend, imagine what he would do to someone he didn’t like?

Speaking of the locker room, Finn Bálor is next in line for a title shot. Can the man who uses face and body paint to intimidate and strike fear into his opponents overcome Kevin Owens?

Congratulations to both Kevin Owens on becoming the new NXT champion and to “The Boss” Sasha Banks on realizing her dreams by becoming the new NXT Womens champion. The future is definitely bright in NXT.

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.